General 3/4/2026 10:10:00 AM Calvin Bush

LED Flame Giveaway and Mascot Hockey Game Highlight Pair of Home Contests This Weekend

Steel host Chart Toppers Night Friday and Rusty’s Birthday Sunday afternoon

GENEVA, ILLINOIS — Following a record crowd at Fox Valley Ice Arena last Saturday night, the Chicago Steel are back in action with two home games this weekend, starting with another tour stop on the Fox Valley Farewell Tour. Chart Toppers Night presented by Hammer & Nails – Geneva is Friday, March 6 at 7:05 pm CT with an LED Flame Giveaway to the first 500 fans. After a road game in Dubuque on Saturday, March 7 at 7:05 pm CT, the Steel will round out the weekend with Rusty's Birthday, which will feature several area mascots to help celebrate, along with a Mascot Hockey Game during intermission on Sunday, March 8 at 3:05 pm CT. Both home games are against the Waterloo Black Hawks.

Friday's promotion celebrates the forwards and "flashy" players who have played for the Steel over the last 11 years, as well as big moments and first round NHL Draft picks. The special LED Flame features a white body with the Fox Valley Farewell Tour logo on the side, and a button is pressed on the top, mirroring a lighter that illuminates an orange flame light at the top. Fans can wave their novelty item in the air while some of music's most popular songs across all genres play inside the arena throughout the night.

The Fox Valley Farewell Tour is a season-long campaign to celebrate the Steel's final year of play at Fox Valley Ice Arena. Through music-themed promotions, giveaways and experiences, the tour will provide a memorable experience for fans while bringing a sense of nostalgia as the team revisits thrilling highlights, noteworthy alumni, and its connection with fans and the community since 2015.

Sunday's game will feature an abundance of fun with several of Rusty's friends joining in for the annual celebration. Mascots scheduled to appear include Hammy from the Rockford IceHogs, Supernova from the Chicago Stars, Annie T. Cougar from the Kane County Cougars, and more. Fans can arrive early to the game for photo opportunities with the mascots in the lobby.

Last Friday, the Steel (22-20-6-2, 52 pts.) erupted for five unanswered goals in the third period, their highest-scoring period of the season, to defeat Madison 5-1. The victory snapped Madison's perfect 18-0-0-0 record when leading after two periods. Jackson Crowder led the way with his 16th and 17th goals, including the game-winner, while Trevor Shorter scored for the third straight game. Timo Kazda added an empty-netter and Ryland Rooney capped the outburst with a power-play goal. Veeti Louhivaara stopped 20 of 21 shots for his eighth win.

The following night, Madison shocked Chicago as Max Rider scored twice, including a late power-play goal, to lift the Capitols to a 2-1 win over the Steel in front of 2,542 fans. Brady Kudrick netted Chicago's lone goal, and Louhivaara turned away 24 of 26 shots in the loss.

Despite limiting opponents to two or fewer goals in five of the last eight games, the Steel have dropped four straight home contests and have been limited to one goal in consecutive home games.

Kudrick enters the weekend with a point in consecutive games (1G-1A) and has found the scoresheet in eight of the last nine games (3G-7A). He is third on the Steel in points (32) and goals (14). The Boston College commit has recorded an assist in four consecutive road games (6A).

Crowder's multi-goal game on Feb. 27 was his ninth of the season, the most of any Steel player. He has five points (4G-1A) in the last five games and leads the Steel in points (36) and goals (17).

The Waterloo Black Hawks (13-32-2-2, 30 pts.) battled Dubuque in a home-and-home set last weekend and dropped both games before securing a road victory over Des Moines. Waterloo tied the game early in the second period but allowed three unanswered goals in a 4-1 loss to the Fighting Saints on Feb. 27. The Black Hawks had five power play opportunities but failed to score on any. The Black Hawks again had their chances on the man advantage but fell to Dubuque 5-2 at home the following night.

A three-goal first period and two goals on four power play opportunities propelled Waterloo to a 5-2 win over the Buccaneers on March 1. Ty Mason and Drew Waterfield each scored two goals and an assist in the win as Waterloo overcame a 37-21 shots deficit.

Mason has potted four points (2G-2A) in the last two games and nine points (5G-4A) over the last eight games. He has 41 more shots than the next-highest Waterloo skater and has seven more points than the next-best scorer.

Hayden Russell recorded two assists on March 1 for his first multi-point game since Oct. 24. The Californian forward was acquired by Waterloo via trade from Dubuque on Jan. 7. He tallied 23 points in 30 games with Dubuque, including a five-assist game against Chicago on Oct. 11.

Waterloo's five goals at Des Moines on March 1 ended an 11-game stretch where it failed to score more than three goals on the road. It has won just twice in 21 games against Eastern Conference opponents this season, with both coming against Green Bay.

The Steel are 29-49-3-3 all-time against Waterloo and 19-18-1-2 at home. Chicago scored three unanswered goals to come away with a 4-2 win in the first matchup between the two on Feb. 13 in Waterloo. It was the Steel's first victory against Waterloo in eight games. Four different Steel skaters recorded multiple points in the win. This weekend's matchups are the final games between the two teams this season.

The Dubuque Fighting Saints (32-15-3-0, 67 pts.) swept their series last weekend against Waterloo to end a two-game skid. Caden Dabrowski led the way with two goals in Dubuque's 4-1 win on Feb. 27. Masun Fleece and Melvin Ekman each recorded two assists. Dabrowski followed up with a goal and an assist in the following game, as did Ekman, while Michael Barron and Kane Johnson each tallied two assists in the Fighting Saints 5-2 win over the Black Hawks.

Fleece enters the weekend with the longest active point streak in the USHL at ten games. He has recorded 12 points (4G-8A) during his current streak and has recorded an assist in four consecutive home games (5A).

Dabrowski has secured a point in eight consecutive games, the second-longest active point streak in the USHL behind Fleece, and has 13 points in that span (9G-4A). He is the fourth-highest scoring rookie in the league (28 pts.) and has the best shooting percentage in that category (23.5%).

Ekman has recorded multiple points in consecutive games and has a point in four straight (2G-4A) and six of his last seven (2G-7A).

The Steel are 36-33-4-0 all-time against Dubuque and 13-17-4-0 on the road. Chicago has dropped all four games against Dubuque this season and has been outscored 24-12. The Fighting Saints swept the last series against the Steel with a pair of two-goal wins, 3-1 on Jan. 2 and 6-4 on Jan. 3. Dubuque has scored at least one power play goal in all four games against Chicago. Saturday's game is the final regular season matchup between the two this season.

The next home matchup for the Steel after this weekend is Saturday, March 14, against Muskegon for the 11^th Annual Teddy Bear Toss presented by Geneva Family Dental. Fans are encouraged to bring new stuffed animals to the game and toss them onto the ice following Chicago's first goal of the game.

Tickets for all Steel home games are on sale now starting at just $10.

For more information, call 855-51-STEEL or visit ChicagoSteelHockeyTeam.com.

Chicago Steel Upcoming Schedule presented by Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush:
Friday, March 6 vs. Waterloo Black Hawks (7:05 pm CT) | Chart Toppers Night presented by Hammer & Nails - Geneva | LED Flame Giveaway (first 500 fans)
Saturday, March 7 at Dubuque Fighting Saints (7:05 pm CT)
Sunday, March 8 vs. Waterloo Black Hawks (3:05 pm CT) | Rusty's Birthday with Intermission Mascot Hockey Game

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